The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is planning to allow taxi drivers who are over 65 years old to continue working, providing they pass an official health examination.
Currently, taxi drivers must retire when they reach 65. The new policy will enable them to drive until they turn 68.
Those who are 60 years old and above are obligated to have health examinations once every year. Those who are under 60 must have a health examination once every three years.
Jack Hsu (�?h), director general of the MOTC’s Department of Railways and Highways, said yesterday that the ministry is in the process of completing all legal procedures, and the new policy is scheduled to be executed next month.
Approximately 10,000 taxi drivers may be able to hit the road again once the policy takes effect.
The ministry has also required the drivers to indicate problems staying awake during the daytime in a self-evaluated form.
Drivers who indicate one of these problems are required to undergo a formal evaluation in the hospital.
Drivers who have a body mass index exceeding 30 will not be allowed to drive. Also, drivers cannot have any lung problems or infectious diseases.
The ministry also said yesterday that it will start giving out subsidies for gas to city bus and freeway bus operators as well as taxi drivers next week.
The measure will continue from now until the end of this year.
The announcement came a week after the Executive Yuan decided to raise the retail gas price.
Specifically, the ministry will subsidize the city and freeway bus operators to the tune of NT$7.4 per liter of gas.
For taxis that have raised their rates since May last year, each will get a subsidy of NT$3.9 per liter.
Those that have not raised the rate, however, will each get a subsidy of NT$5.9 per liter. Drivers are required to have gas cards issued by CPC, Taiwan (台灣中油), and accounts in which money has to be added every month.
Taxi drivers will then receive either a NT$4 or a NT$6 rebate for each liter purchased. The subsidy is capped at 450 liters per month.
In addition to the monthly subsidy, taxi drivers will also get subsidies for gas used between May 28 and May 31.
In total, drivers in the former category will each receive NT$1,981 this month, whereas those in the latter category will each receive NT$2,881.
CPC, Taiwan will start taking applications for drivers who haven’t owned gas cards on Monday.
All card owners could start receiving the subsidies next Thursday.
Hsu emphasized that the ministry will reduce the subsidy if the retail gas price drops, but it will not raise the subsidy beyond the stated amount even if the retail price continues to rise over the next six months.
Meanwhile, the ministry is considering requiring taxis to pick up passengers at designated taxi stops instead of at the roadside. The planned move however has so far met with criticism from taxi drivers.
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